Nanaimo’s homeless set up camp at City Hall
NANAIMO — A mini tent city has formed at City Hall, just days after millions of dollars in social housing pegged for Nanaimo was lost.
Protesters arrived at Nanaimo City Hall Monday morning and pitched six tents on the front lawn facing Wallace St. The movement is in response to the province reallocating $7 million worth of funding earmarked for a modular supportive housing project in Chase River, which was rejected by City Council following fierce localized scrutiny.
One of the City Hall campers is James Reardon, 20, who has been homeless for a little over a week after living in Nanaimo for the past two years.
“Nobody out here wants to be out here that I know of,” Reardon said. “With housing out here we can give people a foot up to change the world.”